from the country's point of view, if we get a big deal, a big megateal, it will be very, very healthy for the finances. so i think we need to separate out what's good for the country versus what's good for the politics. in terms of the politics of it, i have been very surprised at how much the president is conceding, up front, without getting very much in return. in fact, as far as i can tell, he hasn't gotten anything in return. >> is that good for the country? the truth is, when you have a big "titanic" war like this, you want people to be agreeable, but you also want them to represent their interests, because they're supposed to represent the interests of a lot of people in the country. >> i'm someone who believes that the simpson/bowles commission report was a sound way to go. and they called for cutting $2 of spending for every $1 in tax increases or revenue increases. i thought that was pretty sound. in britain, they did three-for-one in the cameron conservative government. but there was always a one. there was always a revenue increase. i personally think that's the right way t